The Ring, the Letter, the Promise
by countryblueeyes
Summary: Modern Day AU, one-shot, loosely based off a poem I wrote. "I should have known from the second that he'd joined the Marines, that he would break his promise. How could I have been so stupid to think that he'd be able to come home?" Tris gets a letter and she goes to the Pier to relive her love story with Tobias. Bad at summaries, please read. Divergent belongs to Veronica Roth.
1. Chapter 1

**Hey all. This is just a one shot that is loosely based off a poem I wrote a few years ago when I thought that my then-boyfriend was going into the military. There are several discrepancies, though. Usually, from what I've heard and experienced, a tour overseas is more or less four years. I have changed that for the sake of the story and because FICTION. Anyways, I hope you all enjoy this.**

 **Tris' POV**

I sit next to the Ferris wheel at the old Navy Pier. It's frigid in the Chicago wintertime and the Pier is abandoned. I am alone, and I'm glad. The crumpled up paper rests on the floor next to my feet. How can a practically weightless sheet of paper put so much weight on my heart?

My fingers play with the ring absentmindedly, and I allow the cold wind burn my eyes. Tears threaten to spill over, but I try my hardest to hold them back. He was supposed to be home in three weeks, but now… he won't be. _Tobias isn't dead_ , I remind myself as I slide my ring back onto my ring finger of my left hand. I stand and go to the part of the wooden railing that he had so carefully etched in our names one late night when we were teenagers, only 15 and 17. We were so in love, and I'm in deeper love now.

I turn back to the Ferris wheel, but I don't really see it. I should have known from the second that he'd joined the Marines, that he would break his promise. How could I have been so stupid to think that he'd be able to come home from the war? My eyes focus back onto the Ferris wheel. Our entire love story revolves around here, on the Pier. We first met at the ticket booth. He kissed me for the first time at the top of that Ferris wheel. He told me that he loved me for the first time under the Pier, where we walked the shoreline in the moonlight. It was right here, next to our etched names, that he gave me the ring, promising me that he would marry me as soon as possible. It was at that bench where he told me he had enlisted and was going overseas. It is also where I read that Tobias, the love of my life, is missing in action.

I squeeze my eyes shut and slide to a sitting position next to the railing. One lone tear runs down my cheek and I put my forehead against my knees and wrap my arms tightly around me. I just have to accept that he is dead. Soldiers who are MIA are a lost cause, right? Until after the war? I should have listened to what the soldiers who delivered the news to me more before slamming the door in their faces.

I rub my stomach gently, feeling the bump that is just starting to form. It's been nearly four months since he left, and I found out I was pregnant a week later. Tobias never found out that he was going to be a father; I never had the chance to tell him. And I never will. "I'm so sorry, baby," I whisper. "Mommy loves you. Daddy will love you, too, if he ever gets the chance to see you. Mommy's sorry, baby. I should have told him." The tears pour more frequently now, landing in my lap. I hear the wooden planks of the Pier creak, but I ignore them. Probably some fisherman taking advantage of the colder weather. Whoever it is will probably not pay me any attention. Who really wants to deal with a 20 year old woman in a ball, alone, on the Navy Pier? They'd think I'm just a homeless person.

The creaking comes closer. "Beatrice Prior?" someone asks. My heart squeezes. I miss him so much that I'm now imagining his voice.

"How'd you find me?" I ask, my voice cracking through the tears.

"Your roommate, Christina, told me where to find you. I have some news from the United States –"

I sniffle. "Your friends already gave me the news, soldier. I don't want to be reminded that my boyfriend is MIA," I say somewhat harshly.

The soldier quietly sighs. "Ma'am, I'm afraid that I still need to give you the papers."

I wipe my tears from my eyes and look up at the soldier for the first time. The first thing I notice is that his hands are empty. Confused, I bring my gaze up and find myself staring into beautiful ocean blue eyes.

I get up and wrap my arms around his neck, sobbing with joy. "You're back. You're here. You're _safe_ ," I cry into his neck as he hugs my waist into him.

"I'm okay," he says, his voice cracking a little. I feel his lips brush my neck. "I made a promise to come home."

 **The end.**

 **Aww cute ending right? Anyways, please let me know what you think. If I get a lot of thumbs ups on this, I might write a few more one-shots based off poems I've written over the years.**

 **Be brave and please review.**


	2. The Original Poem

**Hey everyone. I'm really sorry if you thought that this was an update of the story, but I'm keeping this a one-shot. However, _A Good Book Never Ends_ suggested that I post the original poem. So, in case anyone else is interested, this is the poem I wrote when I was in High School. It is free style and has absolutely no rhyme scheme, so I don't even know why I call it a poem... it's more like a story in poem format... I'm doing some minor editing, though, because it was terrible. Still kinda is, after writing the previous chapter, but I digress. Here's the original: "The Ring and a Promise".**

I sat, almost motionlessly,  
My legs dangling over the tree limb.  
A crumpled sheet of paper laid  
On the forest floor.  
My hands sat in my lap,  
My fingers absentmindedly  
Playing with the ring.  
I looked straight into the wind  
And allowed the cold to kiss my tears away.

I slid the ring back on.  
I should have known,  
the second he joined the Army,  
That he would break his promise.  
I looked to the trunk of the tree,  
Where he had so carefully  
Etched our names.

It was _our_ tree,  
Where we first met,  
Where he kissed me for the first time,  
Where he told me that he loved me.  
It was at our tree  
Where he had given me the ring around my finger,  
Where he had promised to marry me as soon as I was old enough,  
Where he told me he'd enlisted.

It was there,  
In our tree,  
Where I read that he is missing.

Fresh tears stung my eyes,  
Threatening to spill over.  
I shut them tightly,  
Accidentally permitting a lone tear  
To escape.

I heard the rustling  
Of dead autumn leaves,  
But ignored them.  
Most people don't venture  
In this part of the woods,  
And the few who do,  
Wouldn't notice me.  
I kept my face  
Buried in my hands  
As the rustling ceased  
Under me and our tree.

I heard a throaty chuckle,  
One that sounded quite familiar.  
"Of course they would send that out  
The day before I came back to Base."

I uncovered my eyes, looking down,  
And I saw _his_ big green eyes.  
My heart swelled and  
I slid off my branch.  
He caught me in his arms easily  
As I cry with glee.

He held me tightly  
And quietly murmured in my ear,  
"I promised you  
I'd come home,  
Didn't I?"

 **The end.**

 **Like I said, it's kinda sucky in comparison to the first chapter, and please don't hate. It's one of my first writings. And before you pull the "That's unrealistic" card, remember, I was young(er) and this is fiction. Thank you for reading :)**

 **Be brave and please review.**


	3. Chapter 2

***sighs in defeat* So, I know that I swore up and down and all around that this was going to be a one-shot. But, because of one** _ **very**_ **persuasive reader (divergentFREAK24), who** _ **desperately**_ **wanted me to write this scene to the point of using reverse psychology on me – which did not work, I just agreed that I needed this scene – to add this chapter. HOWEVER THIS IS THE ABSOLUTE FINAL CHAPTER, I AM NOT ADDING ANY MORE…**

 ***groans* unless something happens and I need to add another chapter for some stupid reason, BUT THIS WILL NOT TURN INTO A STORY. (*whispers* if you wanna read some stories, check out my profile).**

 **One more thing, before anyone asks, I will not be disclosing the** _ **why**_ **Tobias was MIA because I want you guys to think of the rationale.**

 **So, anyways, without further ado…**

Tobias and I wordlessly walk the less-busy streets of Chicago back to the apartment I share with Christina, hand-in-hand. My heartrate accelerates being close to him again and I squeeze his hand occasionally just to make sure he's really there and not some figment of my imagination. We enter the building and go up to the sixth floor. I have to take the elevator for _physical_ reasons, and he follows me in. The doors shut and he shuts his eyes tightly. He's always hated being trapped in small places. Within seconds, though, the doors open and he exits the elevator in two large steps. I follow him silently, trying not to smile, and we walk to my apartment.

Christina isn't there, but there is a note on the counter. _Tris,_ it reads. _Four is home and looking for you. I sent him to the Pier, but if, for some reason, he doesn't find you, CALL HIM._ She emphasized "Call him" by underlining it thrice. _I went to Will's and will be spending the night there. Just in case. I'll come home in the early afternoon tomorrow. Xxx, Chris._ I smile at her "subtle" hinting.

I carefully turn my back to Tobias and take off my pea coat. Without it on, he'd be able to see my bump. "Looks like it's just the two of us tonight," I say as I put my jacket in the closet.

I feel his hands land on my hips as he starts kissing my neck from behind. "Oh, yeah?" he says huskily, causing butterflies in my stomach and a warmth go through my lower abdomen. The baby kicks me gently, for the first time, almost as if to remind me he or she is there.

I tilt my head a little so Tobias has easier access to my neck. "Tobias," I murmur. "I need to tell you something." His lips freeze on my skin and he tenses. I know the worst is going through his mind right now, so I quickly add, "No, it's nothing bad. It's good news for us. At least… I think it is…" I trail off and bite my lip.

I turn around so we're chest to chest. I take one of his hands and I place it over my swollen stomach, right over where the baby just kicked me. I flatten my hand over his and the baby kicks again.

I smile and look at Tobias and his eyes are wide and glassy. He goes down on his knees so he's at eye-level with my stomach. "I'm gonna be a father," he whispers, so quietly, I think he's just saying it to himself. He looks back at me with a terrified smile on his face. "Tris, we're going to be _parents_." He kisses my stomach softly _. He's going to be an amazing father_ , I think as I take his face in my hands and bring my lips to his, tears of joy rolling down my cheeks again.

He deepens the kiss and stands up. He picks me up smoothly and I instinctively wrap my legs around his waist.

He pulls away with that stupid, handsome, loving grin on his face. "God, I love you, Beatrice Prior," he says.

I smile back. "I love you, Tobias Eaton."

He sets me back down on my feet and puts his hands on my stomach. "I love you, too, baby," he whispers.

"Tobias," I say as I wrap my arms around his neck. He looks at me expectantly. "We're going to be a family."

 **THE END.**

 **So I may add to this tomorrow, but I'm legit dead tired and I have an early day tomorrow, so this is all you get tonight, I'm very sorry. Anyways, tell me what you thought. Did you like this unplanned update? Did you hate it? Did you think it was pointless? Did you think it was stupid and clichéd? (Let's be honest, it is)**

 **Thank you for reading this and I love you guys. Please be sure to check out my profile for some of my longer stories. Wait… is it just me or does it low key feel like I just wrote the closer for most YouTubers? The whole "drop a comment, tell me what you think, if you liked this be sure to subscribe, etc." thing? Just me? Oh boy… anyways…**

 **Be brave and please review.**


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